Fix this box turtle's shell?

[austinl01]

I just found a three toed box turtle in the woods today. The scute has a small crack resulting in a small separation of the shell. It's kind of like having a hangnail so to speak except the scute is split causing the bottom part to hang down a bit. Here is a picture. How can I fix this shell for the turtle? Also, is it a male or female? Thank you, Austin.

 

[yagyujubei]

I don't think that I would do anything to it. It will probably end up falling off on it's own, or healing on it's own. Either way, it appears to be an old injury.

 

[Jacqui]

I don't think that I would do anything to it. It will probably end up falling off on it's own, or healing on it's own. Either way, it appears to be an old injury.

That was my thoughts. Safe to take her back to where you found her and let her go.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Please return it to the place you found it and let it go...Thanks so much

 

[cemmons12]

Agree'd....

 

[austinl01]

Ok. Thanks!

 

[ascott]

What a treat....I agree with the others......

 

[Kristina]

Looks like a very pretty female, but I would have to see the back legs to tell for sure. Either way I agree that it is best to take her back to the exact spot where found and let her go.

 

[zesty_17]

agree that it should heal up on its own, if you wanted to put something on it, i would use a good grade honey for a couple days, then turn her loose.

 

[terryo]

Looks like a male three toed. It's seems to me to be an old injury, and should be fine. Please put him back exactly where you found him. I wouldn't put honey on him if he's going back into the wild. It would only attract predators.

 

[austinl01]

Yes, I'll avoid the honey. He'll go back outside tomorrow after a nice meal or two. He was along a paved walking trail.

 

[zesty_17]

Yes, I'll avoid the honey. He'll go back outside tomorrow after a nice meal or two. He was along a paved walking trail.

that sounds like a good plan. If in the future you ever do utilize honey here are some good articles about it. You do have to be careful with ants, so i would not recommend releasing an animal covered in it, it does however provide very fast results. I have more reading material about it, personal experience, and great colleagues doing some amazing shell repairs.


honey fyi...


Honey in integrative veterinary medicine"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/honey-in-integrative-vete_b_834771.html

Short article on sea turtle usage for honey
http://www.naturehaven.com/Ocean/turtle.html

 

[austinl01]

I'll look into those links about honey for future info.

Anyone know where I can buy a nice pair of adult three toed boxies that are used to captivity or captive raised?

 

[terryo]

Thanks for the articles. I would be interested in learning about the honey too.

 

[zesty_17]

No problem, here is one of the best I have found about Box turtles. I think it is a little extreme for this thread, but i didn't want to look for the appropriate one-sorry for my laziness.

http://www.wildlifecenter.org/wp/wp...n-clinical-presentations-in-wild-reptiles.pdf

 

[austinl01]

No problem, here is one of the best I have found about Box turtles. I think it is a little extreme for this thread, but i didn't want to look for the appropriate one-sorry for my laziness.

http://www.wildlifecenter.org/wp/wp...n-clinical-presentations-in-wild-reptiles.pdf

Very interesting slides. Thanks for posting it.